summer-fellow

A Summer of Appeals

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By: Timothy Allaire ‘25

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern in the Chambers of Judge Julio M. Fuentes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Through this experience, I have had the opportunity to use my legal writing and research skills learned during my first year and apply them to a variety of legal issues including sentencing, class actions, constitutional issues, and statute of limitations tolling. Each project presented a new opportunity to apply my skills and further develop as a student and a future advocate.

During the second week of the internship, the other interns and I had the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia to observe a live court sitting and to hear oral arguments for several pending cases. In preparation for this sitting, the other interns and I were each assigned a case to conduct research on and prepare questions for the Judge. This was an opportunity to really dig deep in a case and explore the nuances of one area of the law. At oral arguments, we got to hear our cases argued live, hear a wide range of questions asked of counsel, and observe different advocacy styles. The highlight from oral arguments was hearing from two student advocates from a law school clinic representing clients on appeal pro bono. They both did amazing at representing their clients and handling tough questions from the panel of judges. Our time in Philadelphia was capped off by the opportunity to meet the Judge and his Law Clerks in person and discuss the cases we had been preparing for.

Most of my work during the summer consisted of reading recently published precedential opinions and writing summaries for the Judge. This required taking a 10–15-page opinion and briefing it in 1-2 pages in a way that was easy to read yet thorough in its analysis. The big project for the summer has been the drafting of a non-precedential opinion (NPO) on a pending civil case. This requires the use of all the skills acquired during both semesters of LAWR, to create a first draft that is a clear, concise, and objective adjudication of law. I worked closely with one of Judge Fuentes’s law clerks to hone the opinion and draft a document that could eventually be circulated to the whole panel.

Overall, my summer working in the Chambers of Judge Julio Fuentes has been both intellectually challenging and incredibly rewarding. It has allowed me to see the inner workings of the appellate process and to see the incredible work our Judiciary does daily. The work of our Judiciary is so important; from the top down, it performs an important public service. Everyone in Chambers was incredibly supportive and made this a memorable experience.

This internship experience would not have been possible if not for the Jonathan Malamud Fellowship. I would like to thank the donors for their generous donation to the School of Law’s Summer Public Interest Funding & Fellowship Program.

Name: Timothy Allaire ‘25

Fellowship: Jonathan Malamud Fellowship

Placement: Hon. Julio M. Fuentes, Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Location: Newark, NJ (Remote)

One important lesson I have learned from this fellowship: “The work of the judiciary is diverse and complex, requiring a great attention to detail and an open mind.”